Country Dance and Song Society American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods July 21 - 28, 2001

As of April 12, the class descriptions and schedule are included
As of June 18, there is a very short wait list at this week.

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Program Description Staff Class Descriptions & Schedule Programs Homepage

American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods July 21 - 28, 2001 Program Director: Paul Brown Staff: Kathy Anderson Russ Barenberg Sam Bartlett Mary Cay Brass Larry Edelman* Alice Gerrard Susan Kevra Abby Ladin Brad Leftwich Terri McMurray* Rodney Miller* Tom Sauber Paul Sutphin * Advisors, plus: Brad Foster Lars Hanslin

Program Description: [Back to Top]

American Music and Dance Week offers an outstanding combination of New England, southern, and western dancing, clogging and step dancing, plus some French traditional dancing showing us connections between American and European traditions. Singers will find both classes and informal sessions. And top instrumentalists will provide instruction from beginning level to advanced in banjo, fiddle, guitar, bass and piano.

The Rodney Miller Band, with caller Susan Kevra, will provide an exciting New England dance program. Susan will also share some French dances from her recent residency in France. Ace guitarist Russ Barenberg, multi-instrumentalist and stunt doctor Sam Bartlett, and pianist Mary Cay Brass round out this top flight group.

Tom, Brad & Alice (Tom Sauber, Brad Leftwich and Alice Gerrard) bring us old time southern songs and tunes, harmony singing, and early bluegrass and country music. They'll play dance music too.

Callers Larry Edelman and Kathy Anderson bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to American Week, leading us through contras squares and big circle dances with the emphasis on fun. Larry continues his successful American Dance Callers Course for a group of pre-registered campers.

Abby Ladin brings skill on the string bass and great flatfoot, clogging and step dancing instruction to this year's program.

North Carolina old time music icon Paul Sutphin joins Program Director Paul Brown and Terri McMurray to share a love of songs, tunes and dance music in dance classes and instrumental instruction.

Whether you are a devotee of New England contra or old-time squares; of old-time Southern or bluegrass music and song; or are looking for expert instruction on your instrument - you will find what you are looking for at American Dance and Music Week. All this, plus the legendary beauty of Pinewoods Camp. How can you stay away?

Staff: [Back to Top]

Kathy Anderson (dance) Kathy is a regular on the dance scene, and with good reason. She's a friendly, energetic, effective caller of squares, big circles and contras. Her daytime classes and evening dance sets will leave you both challenged and smiling.

Russ Barenberg (guitar, mandolin) Nashville studio guitarist and mandolinist, ace instructor and a member of the Rodney Miller Band, Russ is at home with everything from jazz to New England to old time southern mountain music.

Sam Bartlett (banjo, guitar) A driving musician, rhythmic and sure, Sam plays old-time banjo and guitar backup, tenor banjo and mandolin on Irish and other contra dance tunes. Sam is known also for his expertise in stuntology. What's that? If you don't know, come find out! He is a much sought-after musician with wide experience playing for dance troupes and dances, on both recordings and the concert stage.

Mary Cay Brass (piano) Mary Cay is known for driving, rhythmic and inventive piano style. She plays in Rodney Miller's Airdance, the Greenfield Dance Band, and many pick-up bands for dance, festivals and camps across the country. She is also an enthusiastic and skilled leader of harmony singing from a wide variety of world traditions.

Paul Brown (banjo, fiddle, string band, songs) A singer and instrumentalist since childhood, Paul has spent most of the past 25 years learning, collecting and playing music in southwest Virginia and northwest North Carolina. He's a member of The Smokey Valley Boys and The Toast String Stretchers. This year he'll provide music for dances and dance classes.

Larry Edelman (dance, dance calling) Larry is in demand nationwide for his expert dance calling and teaching. He is an avid dance researcher who has intensively studied traditional dances of southwestern Pennsylvania.

Alice Gerrard (guitar, banjo, fiddle, songs) Alice has devoted her life to performing and promoting old time and bluegrass music. A fixture of the Washington, DC area bluegrass scene in the 1950s and 1960s, with Hazel Dickens she pioneered a place for women in bluegrass. She is deeply devoted to old time music of the south as well, and is the founder and editor of The Old Time Herald magazine.

Susan Kevra (dance) A skilled caller of contras and squares, Susan is a favorite of dancers nationwide. This year, she provides new insights and dances, as she returns from an extended stay in France.

Abby Ladin (clogging, step dancing, bass) From her career with Rhythm and Shoes to her solid bass playing to her exceptionally fine teaching, Abby displays a wealth of talent and dedication. She'll teach clogging and flatfoot, plus whatever else comes to her mind, and help out with dance music.

Brad Leftwich (fiddle, banjo, guitar, songs) Brad is one of the most highly regarded old time fiddlers playing today, and he's also a fine singer, banjoist and guitarist. His music combines accuracy, passion and tone, and he's a fine instructor with the ability to help students take apart and reassemble complex tunes and skills.

Terri McMurray (banjo, banjo uke, guitar, songs) Terri has played banjo uke since childhood and has developed a driving, upbeat backup style for dance music. She's a skilled 5-string banjoist as well, having learned from some of the greatest players in the south. A teacher by profession, she's known for her ability to help beginning instrumental students make progress in a comfortable, encouraging setting.

Rodney Miller (fiddle) Rodney is one of the most beloved and highly respected New England fiddlers of our time, setting the standard for other musicians and helping to drive the current revival of contra dancing in New England and around the world. His interests also range to jazz and his own compositions. A regular at dances in New England and at festivals around the country, Rod is also an expert violin maker and repairman.

Tom Sauber (banjo, guitar, fiddle, songs) Tom's lifelong dedication to old time and bluegrass music shows in his every note and in the quality of his instruction. Like his counterparts Alice Gerrard and Brad Leftwich, he's spent significant time learning from and playing with senior master musicians. Tom has recorded extensively, provided music for film and played with numerous old time and bluegrass bands.

Paul Sutphin (songs, string band, old time guitar) Paul is one of the South's most admired old time musicians. He grew up in the Round Peak section of Surry County, North Carolina, where an intense string band tradition thrived. He was a member of two stellar old time bands -- The Camp Creek Boys and the Smokey Valley Boys -- that dominated area fiddlers' conventions for nearly three decades. Paul is a recipient of the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award. He'll perform with Paul Brown and Terri McMurray.

American Dance & Music Week at Pinewoods Tentative Schedule:
7:45 - 8:15
Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00
Rise & Shine Contras & Squares	Susan
Beg. Guitar & Songs	Terri, Paul S.
Clogging Basics	Abby
Fiddle Basics	Brad
10:15 - 11:15
Squares Old & New	Kathy
Clogging Intermediate	Abby
Fiddle Int.-adv.	Brad
Old Time & Bluegrass Singing	Alice
11:30 - 12:15
Jam Session
11:30 - 12:30
Swimming and Free Time
12:30
Lunch
1:45 - 2:45
Theme-a-Day Squares	Larry
Banjo Beg.	Terri
Dances de France	Susan
Harmony & Band Singing	Tom, Brad, Alice
Fiddle Int.-adv.	Rodney
3:00 - 4:00
Zen & the Art of Contra Dancing	Susan
Variety Is the Spice of Life	Kathy
Guitar Int.-adv.	Russ
Banjo Int.-adv.	Tom
4:15 - 5:15
Open Mic	Host: Kathy
Open Spaces for One-Shot Classes
5:15 - 6:00
Swimming and Free Time
5:30
Songs, Stunts & Other Stuff
6:15
Dinner
7:45 - 8:15
Staff Concert
8:30 - 11:00
Evening Dance Party
11:00
After-dance Activities

Class Descriptions: [Back to Top]

Dance:

Rise and Shine Contras & Squares - Susan Kevra with Rodney Miller and Mary Cay Brass
Greet the day with a mix of contras both old and new, guaranteed to get your day off to good start. Each day will feature at least one chestnut.

Squares Old & New - Kathy Anderson with Paul Sutphin and Paul Brown
Squares from all around the country, traditional and contemporary. You'll have a great time discovering and rediscovering the sociability and fun of American square dancing.

Theme-A-Day Squares - Larry Edelman with Paul Brown, Paul Sutphin and Sam Bartlett
Each day offers a special focus on delightful square dances from the north, south, east, and west, with some midwest sprinkled in too. Larry Edelman's dance classes always promise something good, and deliver, as do the musicians.

Zen & the Art of Contra Dancing - Susan Kevra with Rodney Miller and Mary Cay Brass
In this class, we'll try a number of ways to improve how we dance with each other through a variety of experiments that relate to the dancer's role to other dancers, the music to the dance, and the dance figures. Spirited music and interesting dances will accompany you on the road to Terpsichorean Enlightenment. And by the way ... it's lots of fun.

Variety is the Spice of Life - Kathy Anderson with Alice Gerrard, Abby Ladin and ...
From contras to waltzes to polkas to two steps and beyond, this class will explore both familiar dances and some you've never encountered from the byways of American tradition. A great way to wind up the afternoon.

Dances de France - Susan Kevra with Russ Barenberg and Mary Cay Brass
In this class we'll sample from a menu of diverse French dances including couple dances (schottische, mazurkas, as well as dances from Brittany and central France) exciting, flirtatious bourrees, and mesmerizing branles in variety both lines and circles.

Open Mic - Kathy Anderson, host
Come with a dance to call or an instrument to play. Kathy will oversee this chance for you to take the stage. She can give callers some feedback if they want it.

Clogging (Intermediate) - Abby Ladin with Sam Bartlett and Russ Barenberg
More advanced steps, refinements in style, possibly some group routines thrown in. Take yourself to the next level in this more challenging but fun class.

Clogging Basics - Abby Ladin with Sam Bartlett
Just what it sounds like: learn the basics of clogging and flatfooting, American-style. Little or no experience is fine. Patient instruction, plenty of practice time, and great music.

Instrumental:

Fiddle Basics - Brad Leftwich
Start out with one of the best teachers, so the habits you acquire are good ones. From tuning to bowing to fingering to holding your fiddle, this class will get you going along the right path.

Fiddle (Intermediate-Advanced) - Brad Leftwich
Tunings, bowing techniques, listening, how to learn tunes, refinements in style: it's all there in this class with a master of southern traditional fiddling. If you know some southern style fiddle and want to really improve, this is the class for you.

Fiddle (Intermediate-Advanced) - Rodney Miller
This is the place to be if you're interested in New England fiddling, contra dance music, or jazz. You should know some fiddle and be ready to reach for a new level with a dedicated and skilled musician and teacher.

Banjo (Beginning) - Terri McMurray
This is the place to start with the five string banjo. You'll learn how to tune your banjo, discover the basics of clawhammer style, and before long you'll be playing some standard banjo and fiddle tunes! Take home some new skills with the help of one of the most experienced, engaging teachers around.

Banjo (Intermediate-Advanced) - Tom Sauber
This class covers clawhammer, fingerpicking, fiddle-and-banjo, and banjo with songs. Plus your requests. Challenging teaching and lots of fun with one of the country's most versatile banjo pickers. A rare opportunity.

Guitar (Intermediate-Advanced) - Russ Barenberg
What do you want to know? Russ will accommodate a group of intermediate-to-advanced players with insights into backup playing for dancing and songs, lead guitar, or anything else. This class will be flexible in approach, geared to the needs of those who choose it. One thing's for sure: you'll be learning from one of the finest guitarists and teachers around today.

Guitar & Songs (Beginning) - Terri McMurray and Paul Sutphin
Whether you know how to tune and hold a guitar or not, this is the class for you. Get started with two of the best teachers out there. You'll learn chords, backup in flatpicking and fingerpicking style, listening skills, and try some songs with guitar. Plenty of personal attention, time to practice, and lots of fun.

Song:

Old Time & Bluegrass Singing - Alice Gerrard
Learn and share songs, develop your vocal skills, and come to new understandings of style with a bluegrass singing pioneer who also happens to be a great old time musician and singer. Feel free to bring your own songs for the group to work on.

Harmony & Band Singing - Tom Sauber, Brad Leftwich and Alice Gerrard
Each voice added to a group adds new possibilities and new challenges. Tom, Brad and Alice will help you listen for what's important, develop harmonies, adjust your vocal level and tone, and much more.. If you love group or harmony singing, this class is one you'll want to make room for.

Plus:

Open Spaces for One-Shot Classes
There will be a sign-up sheet at camp for you to offer that special something - or to convince someone else to offer you that lick, trick or move you have admired.

Program Description Class Descriptions, Teachers & Schedule Other Musicians Top

413-268-7426 FAX: 413-268-7471

Country Dance and Song Society 132 Main St/PO Box 338 Haydenville, MA 01039-0338 Office Hours M-F 9:30am - 5:00pm EST

http://www.cdss.org/